


Along Came A Spider

by Aglarien



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 19:09:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4403837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aglarien/pseuds/Aglarien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erestor is terrified of spiders.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Along Came A Spider

**Author's Note:**

> Not mine, except for the cat. The great Master Tolkien's estate owns everything else. I promise to return his elves when I'm done playing with them.  
> My victory dance for killing two spiders all by myself whilst the hubby and cats slept.  
> Warnings: AU. Spiders – ewww.  
> Beta: Phyncke, who is also responsible for the title. Thank you!

Along Came a Spider

Elrond and his two senior counselors walked to his office, chatting amicably about the daily happenings in the valley. Glorfindel had been returned to Middle-earth only a couple of months ago, and was already settling in well, effectively captaining Imladris’ forces.

A gasp from Erestor stopped them in their tracks. The chief adviser froze where he stood, his eyes fixed on the far wall. A little garden spider slowly crept down the wall, heading for the floor. 

Erestor trembled, and a cold sweat broke out over his body; he was catapulted back to Doriath a millennia ago, in the forest infested with the evil spawn of Shelob, last child of Ungoliant, running from the beasts and watching in horror as they captured the littlest of the Elves, the Elflings, and those unable to move quickly or defend themselves. The site of the centuries-old bite to his thigh throbbed.

“It is all right, my friend,” Elrond whispered, pulling the frightened Elf into his arms. “I will take care of it. It will not come close to you.”

“Hurry, Elrond!” Erestor said frantically as he struggled to breathe, his body now shaking. “It is coming closer! It will get away and be loose in the house! The children. . .we have to protect the children! We cannot let it bite them!” His fear for Elrond’s small twins overrode even his fear for himself.

“Wait here, Erestor…and breathe,” Elrond said, releasing his dearest friend to remove the spider.

Elrond had not even taken a step away before a small object whizzed through the air. Glorfindel calmly walked to the wall, deftly retrieving his small pocketknife as he removed the skewered spider. He flicked the insect out of the window and wiped the blade on his leggings.

Erestor stared at the warrior in awe. “Teach me how to do that,” he whispered.

Glorfindel nodded once.

 

Erestor had gone to his office to work, while Elrond and Glorfindel remained chatting in the Half-Elf’s office. “Why is Erestor so afraid of spiders?” the captain asked.

“Doriath,” Elrond responded with a sigh. “It must have been a terrible experience for him. They were fleeing from an attack by the spiders and Erestor fell. He was barely more than an Elfling and one of the creatures bit him before he was rescued. He nearly died from the venom. He saw many die that day. . .Elflings. . .maidens.” He rose to walk to the window and look out over the valley. “He is terrified of them. Each night before he retires I go into his room alone and search for the things – especially in his bed. I do not believe he has had a sound sleep since it happened.”

“The poor soul,” Glorfindel said compassionately. “I understand. I. . .know. . .what it is like.”

Elrond thought of the Balrog, the terror of dying by fire. “Yes, I am sure you do,” he said softly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~  
Glorfindel returned from his weeklong patrol, looking forward to seeing how Erestor’s knife-throwing skills had progressed while he was gone. The counselor had some skill with the small blade and had eagerly practiced every movement Glorfindel taught him, thrilled to finally have some means of controlling his fear. Glorfindel smiled to himself as he walked his horse into the stables. It was late, well past the dinner hour, but he was happy to be home again, and happy to have discovered something to help his new found friend. 

After taking Asfaloth to his stall, he began to rub the horse down, talking to him softly, when a movement in the corner caught his eye. A sleek black cat, not quite fully grown, sat and watched the progress of a rather long-legged spider. The animal’s tail quivered with excitement and a high, warbling meow escaped its mouth before it pounced. Glorfindel grinned as he watched the animal eat the insect, one of the arachnid’s long legs hanging out of the cat’s mouth for an instant. “Hello, little friend,” he said, addressing the cat. “What is your name and who might you belong to?”

~~~~~~~~~~  
Glorfindel strode into Erestor’s office with the black cat perched on his shoulder. As he suspected, the counselor was still up working.

“Welcome back!” Erestor exclaimed, rising and walking to Glorfindel as he saw the captain enter. “But whatever are you doing with the stable master’s cat?” He reached up and scratched the top of the animal’s head. The cat purred.

“Oh, this is not the stable master’s cat,” Glorfindel replied. 

Erestor looked at Glorfindel as if the golden lord had lost his mind. “Of course it is!” he exclaimed. “This is Tinnu!”

Glorfindel grinned. “Erestor, may I introduce you to Tinnu, the spider-hunting, spider-eating cat? He is yours, compliments of the stable master.”

“He . . . hunts? Eats? Spiders?”

Glorfindel nodded. “I am sure he will love your rooms, and he will really love sleeping with you at night. . .in your bed.” The Valar know I would certainly love sleeping in your bed, Glorfindel thought. In a whisper, he continued, “Take him with you and sleep soundly for the first time in centuries, my friend. He will protect you.”

Erestor’s smile lit up the room as Glorfindel placed the cat in the counselor’s arms.

~~~~~~~~

Elrond and his two senior counselors walked to his office, chatting amicably about the daily happenings in the valley. Glorfindel’s arm was around the waist of his new betrothed, and silver rings glittered on his and Erestor’s right index fingers. 

A gasp from Erestor stopped them in their tracks. The chief adviser froze where he stood, his eyes fixed on the far wall. A little garden spider slowly crept down the wall, heading for the floor. Elrond had not even taken a step away before a small object whizzed through the air. Erestor calmly walked to the wall, deftly retrieving his small pocketknife as he removed the skewered spider. He flicked the insect out of the window and wiped the blade on his dark robes. With a smile and wink to his beloved, he hummed a merry song as he placed the silver handled knife Glorfindel had gifted him with in its sheath and turned to enter his office.

~the end


End file.
